苦瓜 (kǔguā) · bitter melon, bitter gourd, balsam pear

Measure Word

一条苦瓜 tiáo

Meanings

1 bitter melon
2 bitter gourd
3 balsam pear

About the ingredient

蔬菜 Vegetables · In season: summer

A pale or dark green gourd with a warty skin and a strong bitterness, milder in the pale kinds and softened by long cooking. It is stir-fried with egg, or with pork or beef and black beans, or simmered in pork bone soup.

Also called 凉瓜

Used in 1 dish

酿苦瓜 niàngkǔguā

Characters

Examples

HSK 2

他虽然不喜欢苦瓜，但知道它对身体好。

Tā suīrán bù xǐhuan kǔguā, dàn zhīdào tā duì shēntǐ hǎo.

Although he doesn't like bitter melon, he knows it's good for the body.

HSK 6

苦瓜炒蛋是广东的家常菜。

Kǔguā chǎo dàn shì Guǎngdōng de jiāchángcài.

Bitter melon with scrambled eggs is a common Cantonese home dish.

Tips

culture

苦瓜 is widely eaten in southern China and is prized in traditional Chinese medicine for its cooling properties and ability to reduce blood sugar. A 苦瓜脸 (bitter melon face) is an idiom for a sour, displeased expression.

memory

苦 means 'bitter' and 瓜 means 'melon/gourd'. The name is entirely literal - it is a very bitter gourd.